+Jeff K Another this is being fortunate enough to have a job where you can bring your bicycle inside. Plenty of jobs i've had were kind enough to let me bring my bike inside even when i was riding a $300 K2
The important thing for a commuter bike is not speed, but comfort and functionality. It's much more important to arrive at work dry, clean and not too sweaty than a few minutes earlier. For me you want mudguards, rack, upright position. But hey, each to their own!
Doesn't work for me. I always ride at the max speed that is comfortable and it's gets me sweaty always :D Even shower didn't help me. I would've needed two hours to cool down first :D
Spot on. Nice video but it's a bit like driving an Ariel Atom to work instead of a Fiesta - might win a few minutes but it's neither practical nor comfortable.
A slight inconsistency with the GCN logic... James saves 2 days a year by commuting with the posh Canyon bike, but how many more days in the year would he have to work in order to afford the sucker? Loved the commuter challenge video from a year ago. Hashtag GCN awards winner?
+SlowBoyAthlete According to my calculations, if I stop using snus (tobacco product) and save all the money I don't use for slightly more than a year, I can afford a Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 9.0... I'm already 1 month in ;)
I ride a mtb with alu front fork and 1.5" slick tires, seems to be the best compromise between comfort and speed. It's a workhorse that rolls along well at 30 kph. Traffic lights and wind are the real enemy to a speedy commute.
The mtb is also doing great for me, I can ride wherever and however I want without much care or trouble and almost never get a flat, which does save me some time.
I am a Matt Stevens cycle commuter. About 45 minutes one way 8.8 miles to work on my velomobile during good weather and about 40 minutes during thick ice and snow on my spiked fat tire bike 6.5 miles by cutting over the overpass that my velomobile can't go on. I break a sweat everytime. I am a 50 something, retired, disabled, US Army veteran who needs the bike commute to keep my heart going and enjoy the mental massage of a daily bike commute. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GCN! You are inspiring!
Six minutes a day! That's great! With that extra little wadge, you'd have more time to enjoy being out there and riding your bike! Amazing! No... Wait. :/
A streetlight missed or not missed, more or less traffic on the route etc will save/use more time than the new bike appears to save. Who wouldn't want that canyon? But a commuting bike has to be strong, reliable to ride every day through all kinds of weather and also a bit comfortable since you need to do it every day (well twice a day really). That baby is a thoroughbred princess, not a workhorse. Take the canyon if they are offering it, but save it for real riding and commute on something hardier
Some very good points, although the number of miles per day/week/year would be far less than a pro would do on the very same bike. Admittedly James wouldn't have a pro mechanic to look after it for him.
ed You are right Sir. My commuter is a gravel bike. Second in a row. It is just better for poor tarmac and gravel roads of the park. Also i can jump pavement stones on it no problem... both around 1500 eur.
MRGRUMPY53 so a hybrid. Front fork, rigid rear and a suspension seat plus nice fat road tyres for less rolling resistance than mtb knobblies and a smooth grippy ride on tar, but if theres some crap about the tyres will cope some. Like my giant cypress2 then...has adjustable bars too.
Yeah dan, speed is speed. But you might not have same enthusiasm towards the same bike over time hence rides at lower intensity and slower. So this test should use numbers (power data) and less "placebo effect". So i guess we're expecting a 3rd video regarding this issue.
+Nepo35 I agree, however one could also make the argument that the placebo effect is fair enough. Eg if I feel more confident because of my bike and I go faster, then that's as a result of my bike, whether my bike is actually faster or not. Having said that in this video I'd say that 50% of the time saving was due to the less baggy top, about 45% placebo and 5% due to the aero ability of the bike :)
good point about effect wearing off. also potentially getting better at the new bike. but MAINLY how many of the 6 minutes were due to dumping the ballooning flapping jacket! bold clothes constant in video 3 please.
+Nepo35 I think it's indisputable that the second setup had less drag and rolling resistance, so there should be some improvement. However, I also think that we have a bit of the Hawthorne effect here. I think he should get the Canyon for a week or two. I also can't help wonder how much improvement came just from ditching the baggy clothes. My takeaway was that the max gain I could expect is 10% and the bike only partially contributed to that improvement.
Average Life Joe watched it live thanks. Was a good episode. Great to see Lance at points still keeping his mouth shut and protecting the peloton. Shame others couldn't.
+xGshikamaru For start: alu frame, carbon fork, with external bsa bottom bracket and external cable routing, both for easy maintenence... Frame with good tyre clearance and maybe with disc brakes, but frame for canti brakes will do, but put v-brakes on it, much better stopping power than cantis... As groupset will be good Tiagra or Sora, it has a wide range of gears, no problem to put there cassete 11-34t and compact cranks 46/34. The 1:1 ratio will be handy offroad.
Aww poor James! I thought you were going to give his commuter bike upgrades to see how fast you could make his normal bike...and then maybe...let him keep the upgrades. Sad day but great video!
He actually got the answer to "how many days does that make" right twice. If you consider a waking day to be 16 hours, 16x3=48; so 3 days haha. But 3 days divided into 6min pieces really isnt worth 3 days at all IMO. It would be really hard to actually make those 6 minutes useful. It's like: you can wake up one minute earlier, take one minute longer to make breakfast, one minute longer in the shower etc. Not to mention the riding position makes up for a lot of that difference, and that makes it more uncomfortable as well.
that's no commuting bike at all... you guys don't commute in rain, never have anything heavier to carry (hence the need for a pannier), don't need to leave your bike outside while you're at work, never go grocery shopping on your way home, never commute in low-light conditions, have only superb roads to cycle on without any potholes and such & the list goes on...
Its all to see what road you need to take to work. Where i live i ride 25km in an hour or less sometimes with a fitness bike including mudguards and a backpack. All flat and good roads so no suspension needed.
I'm showing this video to my wife. She needs to be convinced that a Canyon Aeroad CF SLX is an asset to our time together. And by "our", I mean... my bike and I.
What bike you ride to commute on is influenced by how far you have to go, and what the roads are like. My daily ride used to be a mountain bike. and my commute was about 10 km in a big city. I moved, got a different job and my commute became 20 km on suburban/country roads. It was impractical to do that on a mountain bike because it took too long, so I got a cyclecross bike. I wore that bike out and got a Trek Domane road bike, which is great for my commute, but is horrible around town with heavier traffic, sidewalks, gravel bike paths etc. So I got an old 1970's vintage very old fashioned cruiser type bike. It would be a lot if I could do 15 km an hour for more than a few minutes, but it is the perfect bike for my chores around town. I love that bike and if my commute was 5 km ish I would use it to commute.
As someone who transitioned recently from a road bike to a proper hybrid 'city' commuter type bike. Yes the bike makes a difference but the biggest factor is always my enthusiasm to ride. Somehow slugging along on a heavier bike gives a psychological boost 'oh, it's not me. It's the bike '. Don't think that excuse would work on that ultra-speed demon in the video.
I commute Bath - Bristol each day along the rail path. On my Crosstrail it takes 55 minutes. I bought an Allez and cut it down to 46 minutes. Massive saving unless you count the time spent repairing the higher frequency of punctures!
It is possibly just me, but there is surely a groundswell of support for a video of James doing his commute dressed as Vultan from the classic Flash Gordon movie. "Lloydy's Alive???"
James spends his extra 2 days chatting up cute girls on the road who love that Canyon (or guys as its 2019,) the boss gives him a promotion and an invitation to road ride at the swank summer cottage. James invites a few of the new girls and life is very good. Things fall apart when a friendly new girl wants a Canyon too..
HI, love watching! I just wish you could use bikes less expensive to give examples. It all just makes me feel that to enjoy cycling you need to earn times as much as a normal wage in order to take full advantage. take care
Hi Pedro - we're very fortunate to have some great bike partners who lend us some amazing bikes. We do take your point though, we never want to put anybody off cycling.
It's all about choice. I choose to eat cheaply, never go out, have no friends, wear my clothes until they fall apart, cut my own hair, never turn the heating on, never fill the kettle, always switch the lights out, drive like a granny, spend less than 1 minute in the shower and only shave for the weekend. All so I can afford to buy cycle gear. I then take care of my gear so fastidiously that when I am done with it I can sell it for nearly as much as I paid for it.
I really like this video. It's like top gear but with bicycles. What this is is an advert for the Canyon that is presented cleverly. The general vibe for me is that this is not a serious comparison. It's done with a tongue in cheek level of seriousness. We all know that a commuter bike does not really need to be a top of the range bike that costs thousands to buy. The joke about his beard at the end is the final giveaway. For me though, the real hero of this video is the Raleigh bike. One hour each way of riding to and from work. Day after day, with no complaints from its owner, and still going strong...
I have two roadbikes. One Canyon Aeroad for my training or just fun rides in full kit. And a Merida Scultura Aluminum Bike with trusty 105, Vision Team 35 wheels and Conti Grand Prix 4 Seasons which i use for commuting or long trips. I might be a bit faster with the Aeroad, but that's only because i feel like i have to go faster with a bike like that.
I hated commuting to work on my aero bike. Felt like I was putting unnecessary stress on it while riding on crappy city roads. Hardly worth it for 20 minutes as well. Instead I ride a beater single speed.
I find my CX bike (Pinnacle Arkose 3 2014, but with 37 Continental touring Contacts) ideal as I can use it on the road and then switch to the canal if the roads get a little too busy, or I need some shelter from the winds. Factors such as the pannier I have (sides and top at the back) and wearing baggy shorts seem to make a fair bit of difference to speed and going up hills especially, but I think most people would argue that the cheapest saving to speed would be to improve the engine (i.e. yourself).
So how about just changing the 2 biggest factors the rider faces on the original bike, the TIRES and the spandex suit. This test was highly skewed as is. It would be good to see just the difference a change of gearing would make say 3x7 to more gears, or those that are more modern and close ratio
An hour on a 14.5 mile trip is normal for a commuting cyclist (unless if you do group rides to work it'll be even faster). You don't need to be aerodynamic for everyday commuting. Being race-aero to go to work feels kinda out of place for me. Although I'd be grateful to even be able to wear some aero jacket to college but I usually just stick to my everyday outfit and pretty much ride on a steady pace.
I've decided to go with an average first road bike after watching this video. Reason 1) Saving. 2) learning to enjoy riding with extra mins. 3) deter theft!
5:34 Complete tangent, but apparently "works blooming hard" = 230 days of work per year, which divided by 5 days in a work week is 46 weeks, or 6 weeks of vacation annually. I really need to move to Britain; in the US 2 weeks off a year is the standard expectation for almost everyone. 3 or 4 is a luxury, while it's not uncommon for workers in some fields to get no paid vacation at all.
Definitely one of the best episodes you’ve ever created. As a commuter and one who will never be in the pro tour, these videos really hit home. Thank you and keep them coming!
One thing that's not taken into account is the time needed to change to normal clothes and shoes at work afterwards. Also the extra weight of these things that you'll have to carry back and forth especially when you are doing climbs. You got him an expensive bicycle, clothing and all of that for 10% improvement in time, which I have said earlier might not even be that much considering you'd have to cahnge to regular clothes. Moreover it might not be as comfortable as the regular bike. Not to mention the added cost of the bicycle. It's diminishing returns: as long as you have a decent commuter it's not worth getting something 10% better for triple the cost.
I can see a big difference between my $2000 bike and my $200 rusty old bike. But it's still just a few minutes per ride. Since I can't link the time together to get the two days in a usable form, I suspect James is right about what we do with it. It all comes out of that time that we sit around doing nothing anyway.
would of been a more interesting comparison if the bike being compared to wasn't already a good bike.what I'm saying is not everyone commute in a bike that good... so if you can make a video comparing the average commute bike($100-350) and weather it is worth spending more than($1000) for a better one
Nickolas Hanif You make a really good point, and I actually experienced pretty much that recently. My original commuter bike was a hybrid bike retailing around $450 , I recently changed it out for a much nicer road bike, with a slight focus on conserving comfort so went for an endurance bike, at roughly $2000. On paper it should definitely be faster, but due to all the different variables on my commute I wasn’t expecting massive gains. On my first commute to work I noticed I was about 6mins faster on my 11mile commute, but part of that could be down to excitement of riding a new bike. After a few weeks I’m pleased to say the gains are even more important, as I’m now almost 8 and a half minutes faster. I haven’t changed what I wear, my riding position is no doubt slightly more aero, but I am still fairly upright so I’m not sure there’s much difference. The route I cycle has remained the same, and I have measured this consistently over a longer period with different weather conditions and traffic. It does seem that I am definitely, on average, a good 5-6 minutes faster. On my better days, that can turn into 8-9 minutes. I have also noted that this difference is more significant on the commute to work, and less significant on the commute home from work. Historically my ride to work has always been 3-5 minutes faster than my ride back. The gap has closed a little bit depending on the days but I would say coming back I have an average saving of 4-5 minutes vs 6-8. Definitely no regrets whatsoever, and with the ambition of getting more into riding and doing sportives, it was the right call for me. Whether it’s worth it for the average commuter really depends on how much they intend to cycle outside of just commuting and what they want to get out of it.
Something with sticky, grippy tyres for me, please. I was driving in Dublin on a wet day last year, saw a cyclist on a nice race bike TRY to make a left turn at low speed, and the bike slid out from under him, dumping him face first into the road. He was just lucky there wasn't a bus coming. That trip in the ambulance will really screw with your journey time!
Never mind the Canyon Aero, James's Raleigh Avanti would do me. It's a carbon framed £2k bike weighing in at 7.7kg. He should be riding the distance more quickly on that thing - I do better on my crappy 11kg bike!
Dan: "money can't buy happiness" .... But it can buy a Canyon Aeroad CF SLX! On a side note, if you google "Daniel Lloyd" the first page is definitely not Dan, but Danielle XD
Good show Dan and James. I was wondering, James, if you were more comfortable with the Aeroad compared to your Raleigh, since the Canyon does have a more aggressive position? That seemed to have been overlooked. Different strokes for different folks I suppose, but there are riders who'd give up ultimate speed for a little more comfort especially on knackered tarmac.
Because he changed his clothes and his riding position as well and also might have been trying harder it still doesn't let us know if the bike was significant or not. Perhaps going naked might cut the wind resistance and then what about shaving the beard off. I am sure that with those modifications he might get somewhere rather quickly.
How about a Top 10 cities/countries to commute vid? Pretty interested since a bike commuter myself in the city that Waze has dubbed the most annoying place to drive you car in. Cheers boys!
I have a 20km commute. And I saved more than 10min switching from a trekking bike to a cyclocross bike. And it's much more fun, too! That's the more important part for me actually.
He was breathing so hard the 2nd time! I agree that speed is speed however you get it, but suspect that was 'new bike' exuberance, and a few weeks later he wouldn't be putting in that same effort. Great show, great segment - but I would have liked to see comparable power data ;)
Hey Dan. Would you recommend removing links from a chain to reduce its weight? should save 4 grams if I remove 6. Could be a couple of watts gained. Could you do a video on this? X hudlum
A factor I haven't seen mentioned is whether James, if he owned a beautiful Canyon bike would ride it to work on days when the it raining, muddy and awful. Coming as I do from the Pacific Northwest of the United States, I ride my BMC Team Machine SlR01 only on dry days. My cross bike is for the wet ones. Anyone who knows anything about this area can figure out that during the winter the BMC will get about 10% of the rides (winter here lasts from November through May.) I suspect that would cut more than 50% of the saved time.
not surprised he went faster, but I wouldn't call any of these proper commuters. Where are the panniers? Where are the fenders? I sacrifice a bit of time for a whole lot more comfort. In the summer days when it's unbearable here, I don't have a bag on my back, and in the winter when the roads are crappy, I have fat tires and fenders to keep my butt and feet dry.
+Lucas Husted I mean it all depends. I commuted 8 miles one way in texas on semi-race bike, not because I didnt have things to carry but it was just much more fun riding fast. I have to have a reason to want to commute and riding fast was one of them. Though that's not to say you cant ride fast on commuter bikes, but you can ride much faster race bikes.
I ride a Merida Scultura 400 Aluminum with a 105 to work. I am thinking about getting some semi permanent fenders from SKS for it. I would love to use my Race Bike, but i just don't want to wear it out too much.
How comfortable was james on the second bike and in more figure hugging aero gear as opposed to with his usual setup? There is a trade off between speed and comfort that needs to be recognised if he is commuting for ~2 hours a day. Also if he was to use the second bike for an extended period id say his time would have been lower still as he got more accustomed to the new setup. All in all a good interesting video though :)
I would've liked to have seen the addition of a power meter in the mix on both bikes to establish an average wattage on the first bike and then try to sick to that on the second bike so the "feeling faster" mental aspect is taken out of the mix on the second bike and so to intensity on both bikes would've been relatively the same or very similar.
If you do it everyday you start to feel no difference :) Im also cycling 32+ miles to work a day. Only thing you need to keep dry and warm are shoes (feet has less blood circulation and it can be painfull) and chest.
A new flashy bike is almost always a little bit faster than your standard commuter bicycle. Given that the road chosen is paved and does not include too many difficult obstacles. If you spend a couple of million pounds on a new "straight to the goal" bikeline you can probably shave of even a few more minutes by excluding all those possible red lights. So the billion dollar question is witch is the better way to commute to work? All in all. Does the two extra days of "hard" work really pay of the extra money spent on commuter gear? Not bad for 48 hours if that's the case. I'm pretty sure that he can find 5 minutes of efficency in his morning routine for zero £ or less if he really tries.
Who wants a fancy commuter? It needs to be dependable, beatable and most importantly, not worth stealing. I love my old no suspension Schwinn. I lock it and don't worry about it too much. I keep the nice bikes for training and fun rides.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
One thing about a commuter bike it has to be cheap enough so it doesn't empty your bank account when it gets stolen.
+Jeff K Another this is being fortunate enough to have a job where you can bring your bicycle inside. Plenty of jobs i've had were kind enough to let me bring my bike inside even when i was riding a $300 K2
That's why I commute on a $30 bike (!), I can leave it for all day at the subway station and no one would steal it.
but the difference is too much
What's the best way to lock your bike?
misamisatv ulock between wheel and frame... got a $1000 bike since 6 years, been locking it like that here in santiago, chile.... still mine =)
"He's now in a much more aggressive position" - it's exactly the same as he's had on the first bike
Yeah I just checked and theres no difference 😂
@@HikingFeral it's not even slammed
The important thing for a commuter bike is not speed, but comfort and functionality. It's much more important to arrive at work dry, clean and not too sweaty than a few minutes earlier. For me you want mudguards, rack, upright position. But hey, each to their own!
yeah, that's what I say!
Agreed
shower at work! thanks for the gym DG
Doesn't work for me. I always ride at the max speed that is comfortable and it's gets me sweaty always :D Even shower didn't help me. I would've needed two hours to cool down first :D
Spot on. Nice video but it's a bit like driving an Ariel Atom to work instead of a Fiesta - might win a few minutes but it's neither practical nor comfortable.
he's lost 48 hours of training a year.
it will take more than 2 days of extra work to pay for that bike
@@phililpb Just mortgage your in-laws house its fine
A slight inconsistency with the GCN logic... James saves 2 days a year by commuting with the posh Canyon bike, but how many more days in the year would he have to work in order to afford the sucker? Loved the commuter challenge video from a year ago. Hashtag GCN awards winner?
I work my ass off for that Canyon.
+SlowBoyAthlete According to my calculations, if I stop using snus (tobacco product) and save all the money I don't use for slightly more than a year, I can afford a Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 9.0...
I'm already 1 month in ;)
+Ypuh You win some, you lose some.
A better bike is worth more than tobacco.
+j zachary next year, my friend.. Next year.
Thats what mastercards are for !
I ride a mtb with alu front fork and 1.5" slick tires, seems to be the best compromise between comfort and speed. It's a workhorse that rolls along well at 30 kph.
Traffic lights and wind are the real enemy to a speedy commute.
The mtb is also doing great for me, I can ride wherever and however I want without much care or trouble and almost never get a flat, which does save me some time.
I am a Matt Stevens cycle commuter. About 45 minutes one way 8.8 miles to work on my velomobile during good weather and about 40 minutes during thick ice and snow on my spiked fat tire bike 6.5 miles by cutting over the overpass that my velomobile can't go on. I break a sweat everytime. I am a 50 something, retired, disabled, US Army veteran who needs the bike commute to keep my heart going and enjoy the mental massage of a daily bike commute.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GCN! You are inspiring!
Six minutes a day! That's great! With that extra little wadge, you'd have more time to enjoy being out there and riding your bike! Amazing!
No... Wait. :/
+Maxmaxz +Global Cycling Network That should be the comment of the week
+Cha Keeb Yes! Comment of the week!
Exactly my thoughts. If you like biking, just enjoy your commute.
12 minutes per day ;)
with 6 more minutes, i could actually feed myself in the morning, i would really love those 6 minutes :)
A streetlight missed or not missed, more or less traffic on the route etc will save/use more time than the new bike appears to save. Who wouldn't want that canyon? But a commuting bike has to be strong, reliable to ride every day through all kinds of weather and also a bit comfortable since you need to do it every day (well twice a day really). That baby is a thoroughbred princess, not a workhorse. Take the canyon if they are offering it, but save it for real riding and commute on something hardier
Some very good points, although the number of miles per day/week/year would be far less than a pro would do on the very same bike. Admittedly James wouldn't have a pro mechanic to look after it for him.
ed You are right Sir. My commuter is a gravel bike. Second in a row. It is just better for poor tarmac and gravel roads of the park. Also i can jump pavement stones on it no problem... both around 1500 eur.
Great points. And unless you have indoor bike storage at work that Canyon won't be there when you clock out.
MRGRUMPY53 so a hybrid. Front fork, rigid rear and a suspension seat plus nice fat road tyres for less rolling resistance than mtb knobblies and a smooth grippy ride on tar, but if theres some crap about the tyres will cope some.
Like my giant cypress2 then...has adjustable bars too.
Yeah dan, speed is speed. But you might not have same enthusiasm towards the same bike over time hence rides at lower intensity and slower. So this test should use numbers (power data) and less "placebo effect". So i guess we're expecting a 3rd video regarding this issue.
problem was no power meter on James old bike. I'd suspect the time would be much closer if there was a equal power
+Nepo35 I agree, however one could also make the argument that the placebo effect is fair enough. Eg if I feel more confident because of my bike and I go faster, then that's as a result of my bike, whether my bike is actually faster or not.
Having said that in this video I'd say that 50% of the time saving was due to the less baggy top, about 45% placebo and 5% due to the aero ability of the bike :)
good point about effect wearing off. also potentially getting better at the new bike. but MAINLY how many of the 6 minutes were due to dumping the ballooning flapping jacket! bold clothes constant in video 3 please.
+Nepo35 I think it's indisputable that the second setup had less drag and rolling resistance, so there should be some improvement. However, I also think that we have a bit of the Hawthorne effect here. I think he should get the Canyon for a week or two. I also can't help wonder how much improvement came just from ditching the baggy clothes. My takeaway was that the max gain I could expect is 10% and the bike only partially contributed to that improvement.
+Timothy Bates Yeah... those clothes make the most difference imo.
He would save 3 days if he shaved his face....
But he would loose 4 days, due to extra shaving time!
+Reginald Scot statistically, no. beard has no effect on aerodynamic.
+Reginald Scot Already done: twitter.com/Dom_EstiqueGCN/status/677112501142732800
There MUST be a point where that stops being true. I don't think Specialized tested a beard of quite this majesty in their wind-tunnel tests.
But a beard's psychological effect on testosterone could be considered doping, makes you go a lot faster.
Next weeks episode Pimp My Commute - How to EPO Like A PRO
+experiment54 better watch Joe Rogan podcast with Lance Armstrong
Average Life Joe watched it live thanks. Was a good episode. Great to see Lance at points still keeping his mouth shut and protecting the peloton. Shame others couldn't.
Seriously, I do want to use EPO/SERA and HGH. Those will help me recover better. There's no doping control for commutes, at least where I live.
I have one bike (CX), long rides, short rides, offroad, onroad, crosscountry, on shoulder.... I like it, I ride it, I'm happy :-) .
+Martin Bartoň Same here, CX bike for commuting, sunday rides, sportives, CX racing, MTB routes and climbing. I love my bike
+Martin Bartoň Same here! Pretty much a do-it-all bike. Mine has a rack and fenders too.
My other bike's a 20" folder for more leisurely jaunts.
+Martin Bartoň I would love to find the Focus Mares around here :)
+Martin Bartoň what would you recommend for a cyclocross bike ?
+xGshikamaru For start: alu frame, carbon fork, with external bsa bottom bracket and external cable routing, both for easy maintenence... Frame with good tyre clearance and maybe with disc brakes, but frame for canti brakes will do, but put v-brakes on it, much better stopping power than cantis... As groupset will be good Tiagra or Sora, it has a wide range of gears, no problem to put there cassete 11-34t and compact cranks 46/34. The 1:1 ratio will be handy offroad.
That Canyon is a gorgeous machine.
Aww poor James! I thought you were going to give his commuter bike upgrades to see how fast you could make his normal bike...and then maybe...let him keep the upgrades. Sad day but great video!
He actually got the answer to "how many days does that make" right twice. If you consider a waking day to be 16 hours, 16x3=48; so 3 days haha. But 3 days divided into 6min pieces really isnt worth 3 days at all IMO. It would be really hard to actually make those 6 minutes useful. It's like: you can wake up one minute earlier, take one minute longer to make breakfast, one minute longer in the shower etc. Not to mention the riding position makes up for a lot of that difference, and that makes it more uncomfortable as well.
that's no commuting bike at all... you guys don't commute in rain, never have anything heavier to carry (hence the need for a pannier), don't need to leave your bike outside while you're at work, never go grocery shopping on your way home, never commute in low-light conditions, have only superb roads to cycle on without any potholes and such & the list goes on...
Its all to see what road you need to take to work. Where i live i ride 25km in an hour or less sometimes with a fitness bike including mudguards and a backpack. All flat and good roads so no suspension needed.
But this old racebike isnt the first choice for commuting no
I'm showing this video to my wife. She needs to be convinced that a Canyon Aeroad CF SLX is an asset to our time together. And by "our", I mean... my bike and I.
Time is money but you need money to buy time
Very clever, I see what you did there
What bike you ride to commute on is influenced by how far you have to go, and what the roads are like. My daily ride used to be a mountain bike. and my commute was about 10 km in a big city. I moved, got a different job and my commute became 20 km on suburban/country roads. It was impractical to do that on a mountain bike because it took too long, so I got a cyclecross bike. I wore that bike out and got a Trek Domane road bike, which is great for my commute, but is horrible around town with heavier traffic, sidewalks, gravel bike paths etc. So I got an old 1970's vintage very old fashioned cruiser type bike. It would be a lot if I could do 15 km an hour for more than a few minutes, but it is the perfect bike for my chores around town. I love that bike and if my commute was 5 km ish I would use it to commute.
As someone who transitioned recently from a road bike to a proper hybrid 'city' commuter type bike. Yes the bike makes a difference but the biggest factor is always my enthusiasm to ride. Somehow slugging along on a heavier bike gives a psychological boost 'oh, it's not me. It's the bike '. Don't think that excuse would work on that ultra-speed demon in the video.
I bike for relation, exercise, and just because I like it. If I want to get to work faster then I take something with an engine. Like a car,
I couldn't stop looking at those guys in the background.
Tuna ...I usually get disgusted by this "look at this idiots" attitude
I would love to see you finding people on a commute and showing what you would do to upgrade their ride.
I commute Bath - Bristol each day along the rail path. On my Crosstrail it takes 55 minutes. I bought an Allez and cut it down to 46 minutes. Massive saving unless you count the time spent repairing the higher frequency of punctures!
Wow, 7 years later and I realize how much this channel has grown. GCN is still making great content.
It is possibly just me, but there is surely a groundswell of support for a video of James doing his commute dressed as Vultan from the classic Flash Gordon movie. "Lloydy's Alive???"
James spends his extra 2 days chatting up cute girls on the road who love that Canyon (or guys as its 2019,) the boss gives him a promotion and an invitation to road ride at the swank summer cottage. James invites a few of the new girls and life is very good. Things fall apart when a friendly new girl wants a Canyon too..
HI, love watching! I just wish you could use bikes less expensive to give examples. It all just makes me feel that to enjoy cycling you need to earn times as much as a normal wage in order to take full advantage. take care
Hi Pedro - we're very fortunate to have some great bike partners who lend us some amazing bikes. We do take your point though, we never want to put anybody off cycling.
it would be entertaining to see you guys do a cheap bike/first road bike challenge to see what you could get new or second hand for VERY little money
I started commuting on a road bike but added clip on aero bars and it saved me more time than a carbon frame and wheels could for 50 dollar clip ons.
TheJoePavlik thats a cool idea
It's all about choice. I choose to eat cheaply, never go out, have no friends, wear my clothes until they fall apart, cut my own hair, never turn the heating on, never fill the kettle, always switch the lights out, drive like a granny, spend less than 1 minute in the shower and only shave for the weekend. All so I can afford to buy cycle gear. I then take care of my gear so fastidiously that when I am done with it I can sell it for nearly as much as I paid for it.
I really like this video. It's like top gear but with bicycles. What this is is an advert for the Canyon that is presented cleverly. The general vibe for me is that this is not a serious comparison. It's done with a tongue in cheek level of seriousness. We all know that a commuter bike does not really need to be a top of the range bike that costs thousands to buy. The joke about his beard at the end is the final giveaway.
For me though, the real hero of this video is the Raleigh bike. One hour each way of riding to and from work. Day after day, with no complaints from its owner, and still going strong...
Knowingly or not. This video was next level.
In a timely manner.
That's a very sound statement!
I could do with a little bit more time...sleeping comes to mind!
I have two roadbikes. One Canyon Aeroad for my training or just fun rides in full kit. And a Merida Scultura Aluminum Bike with trusty 105, Vision Team 35 wheels and Conti Grand Prix 4 Seasons which i use for commuting or long trips. I might be a bit faster with the Aeroad, but that's only because i feel like i have to go faster with a bike like that.
230 work days, did I calculate this right but it means he's got 6 weeks of holiday? Dayum
its Europe they actually get vacations
Yay James! Glad you're involving him in the on-bike testing. Too bad so much more than the bike was changed.
time saving for an electric road bike??
Thanks Chris and Barney, I should have paid attention it was right at the beginning!
I wish James was in every GCN video; because of that beard, but mostly those clipping in skills! Incredible!
the neon yellow jacket and helmet were definitely a much safer option!
James: what a thoroughly nice chap
I hated commuting to work on my aero bike. Felt like I was putting unnecessary stress on it while riding on crappy city roads. Hardly worth it for 20 minutes as well. Instead I ride a beater single speed.
I find my CX bike (Pinnacle Arkose 3 2014, but with 37 Continental touring Contacts) ideal as I can use it on the road and then switch to the canal if the roads get a little too busy, or I need some shelter from the winds.
Factors such as the pannier I have (sides and top at the back) and wearing baggy shorts seem to make a fair bit of difference to speed and going up hills especially, but I think most people would argue that the cheapest saving to speed would be to improve the engine (i.e. yourself).
love your presentation skills.
So how about just changing the 2 biggest factors the rider faces on the original bike, the TIRES and the spandex suit. This test was highly skewed as is. It would be good to see just the difference a change of gearing would make say 3x7 to more gears, or those that are more modern and close ratio
That Canyon setup is absolutely stunning I cant until I can afford one eventually
More of James please! Love seeing a normal everyday guy up there! Not that I don't love the presenters too....
"I've done this in my head..." *checks calculator app* ...Oh, Lloydie...
More James!
Do you know what most of us would do with that extra time? We'd go biking!
An hour on a 14.5 mile trip is normal for a commuting cyclist (unless if you do group rides to work it'll be even faster). You don't need to be aerodynamic for everyday commuting. Being race-aero to go to work feels kinda out of place for me. Although I'd be grateful to even be able to wear some aero jacket to college but I usually just stick to my everyday outfit and pretty much ride on a steady pace.
great comparison, thanks
I've decided to go with an average first road bike after watching this video. Reason 1) Saving. 2) learning to enjoy riding with extra mins. 3) deter theft!
Great looking bike!!!!
5:34 Complete tangent, but apparently "works blooming hard" = 230 days of work per year, which divided by 5 days in a work week is 46 weeks, or 6 weeks of vacation annually. I really need to move to Britain; in the US 2 weeks off a year is the standard expectation for almost everyone. 3 or 4 is a luxury, while it's not uncommon for workers in some fields to get no paid vacation at all.
Definitely one of the best episodes you’ve ever created. As a commuter and one who will never be in the pro tour, these videos really hit home. Thank you and keep them coming!
One thing that's not taken into account is the time needed to change to normal clothes and shoes at work afterwards. Also the extra weight of these things that you'll have to carry back and forth especially when you are doing climbs. You got him an expensive bicycle, clothing and all of that for 10% improvement in time, which I have said earlier might not even be that much considering you'd have to cahnge to regular clothes. Moreover it might not be as comfortable as the regular bike.
Not to mention the added cost of the bicycle. It's diminishing returns: as long as you have a decent commuter it's not worth getting something 10% better for triple the cost.
I can see a big difference between my $2000 bike and my $200 rusty old bike. But it's still just a few minutes per ride. Since I can't link the time together to get the two days in a usable form, I suspect James is right about what we do with it. It all comes out of that time that we sit around doing nothing anyway.
The quick release on the canyon's front wheel keeps changing position.
Imagine how much more James could save if he didn't have OCD.
would of been a more interesting comparison if the bike being compared to wasn't already a good bike.what I'm saying is not everyone commute in a bike that good... so if you can make a video comparing the average commute bike($100-350) and weather it is worth spending more than($1000) for a better one
Nickolas Hanif
You make a really good point, and I actually experienced pretty much that recently. My original commuter bike was a hybrid bike retailing around $450 , I recently changed it out for a much nicer road bike, with a slight focus on conserving comfort so went for an endurance bike, at roughly $2000.
On paper it should definitely be faster, but due to all the different variables on my commute I wasn’t expecting massive gains.
On my first commute to work I noticed I was about 6mins faster on my 11mile commute, but part of that could be down to excitement of riding a new bike.
After a few weeks I’m pleased to say the gains are even more important, as I’m now almost 8 and a half minutes faster.
I haven’t changed what I wear, my riding position is no doubt slightly more aero, but I am still fairly upright so I’m not sure there’s much difference. The route I cycle has remained the same, and I have measured this consistently over a longer period with different weather conditions and traffic. It does seem that I am definitely, on average, a good 5-6 minutes faster. On my better days, that can turn into 8-9 minutes.
I have also noted that this difference is more significant on the commute to work, and less significant on the commute home from work. Historically my ride to work has always been 3-5 minutes faster than my ride back. The gap has closed a little bit depending on the days but I would say coming back I have an average saving of 4-5 minutes vs 6-8.
Definitely no regrets whatsoever, and with the ambition of getting more into riding and doing sportives, it was the right call for me. Whether it’s worth it for the average commuter really depends on how much they intend to cycle outside of just commuting and what they want to get out of it.
Something with sticky, grippy tyres for me, please.
I was driving in Dublin on a wet day last year, saw a cyclist on a nice race bike TRY to make a left turn at low speed, and the bike slid out from under him, dumping him face first into the road. He was just lucky there wasn't a bus coming.
That trip in the ambulance will really screw with your journey time!
Never mind the Canyon Aero, James's Raleigh Avanti would do me. It's a carbon framed £2k bike weighing in at 7.7kg. He should be riding the distance more quickly on that thing - I do better on my crappy 11kg bike!
loool....With an Ultegra groupset too boot.
Dan: "money can't buy happiness"
.... But it can buy a Canyon Aeroad CF SLX!
On a side note, if you google "Daniel Lloyd" the first page is definitely not Dan, but Danielle XD
Here in Warwick (UK) finding a decent safe route which is not clogged with stationary cars is by far the biggest factor.
I use hardtail mtb with all terrain tyres for commuting and everywhere
I dont see this as saving time, it's less time on a bike! Which is a bad thing.
Hey Dan. If the bearded fellow removed those daft specs it would save him another 35 to 40 seconds. Not hating, just saying. X
hudlum
James needs them for seeing.
+Global Cycling Network haha!
+Global Cycling Network as long as he can make out his garmin he should be ok.
+hudlumfarter Removing the beard might be a better way to go.....
+hudlumfarter win tunnel tested no difference with shades tho
Good show Dan and James. I was wondering, James, if you were more comfortable with the Aeroad compared to your Raleigh, since the Canyon does have a more aggressive position? That seemed to have been overlooked. Different strokes for different folks I suppose, but there are riders who'd give up ultimate speed for a little more comfort especially on knackered tarmac.
fantastic video!!!
I had a science test the other day and gcn helped me in
Because he changed his clothes and his riding position as well and also might have been trying harder it still doesn't let us know if the bike was significant or not.
Perhaps going naked might cut the wind resistance and then what about shaving the beard off.
I am sure that with those modifications he might get somewhere rather quickly.
How about a Top 10 cities/countries to commute vid? Pretty interested since a bike commuter myself in the city that Waze has dubbed the most annoying place to drive you car in. Cheers boys!
Why did the quick release change position mid ride
I have a 20km commute. And I saved more than 10min switching from a trekking bike to a cyclocross bike. And it's much more fun, too! That's the more important part for me actually.
almost thought this was pt.2, a continuation of How To Get Rid Of Dan the Wheelsucker ;D
The best one is the guy who shows up with a tray full of coffee and a bag of donuts.
Think it would of been more interesting if they would of installed a power meter on the bikes to see if the effort for each bike was the same.
5:14 nice fine gentlemen drinking their morning water in the background
He was breathing so hard the 2nd time! I agree that speed is speed however you get it, but suspect that was 'new bike' exuberance, and a few weeks later he wouldn't be putting in that same effort.
Great show, great segment - but I would have liked to see comparable power data ;)
Hey Dan. Would you recommend removing links from a chain to reduce its weight? should save 4 grams if I remove 6. Could be a couple of watts gained. Could you do a video on this? X
hudlum
A factor I haven't seen mentioned is whether James, if he owned a beautiful Canyon bike would ride it to work on days when the it raining, muddy and awful. Coming as I do from the Pacific Northwest of the United States, I ride my BMC Team Machine SlR01 only on dry days. My cross bike is for the wet ones. Anyone who knows anything about this area can figure out that during the winter the BMC will get about 10% of the rides (winter here lasts from November through May.) I suspect that would cut more than 50% of the saved time.
What about some leg warmers or cycling pants, James? Look at Dan! Those bib shorts are for the summer!
We like James we need to see him more often on the show.
6 minutes improvement for 60 minutes of original time is 10%. 10% in cycling is huge!
not surprised he went faster, but I wouldn't call any of these proper commuters. Where are the panniers? Where are the fenders? I sacrifice a bit of time for a whole lot more comfort. In the summer days when it's unbearable here, I don't have a bag on my back, and in the winter when the roads are crappy, I have fat tires and fenders to keep my butt and feet dry.
+Lucas Husted next time they should give the guy the Pinarello Espada from Indurain's Hour Record to commute...
+Lucas Husted I mean it all depends. I commuted 8 miles one way in texas on semi-race bike, not because I didnt have things to carry but it was just much more fun riding fast. I have to have a reason to want to commute and riding fast was one of them. Though that's not to say you cant ride fast on commuter bikes, but you can ride much faster race bikes.
Pimp My Commute time saved leads to Pimp My Beard. Dan should be proud.
I ride a Merida Scultura 400 Aluminum with a 105 to work. I am thinking about getting some semi permanent fenders from SKS for it. I would love to use my Race Bike, but i just don't want to wear it out too much.
This video only succeeded in convincing me that an expensive bike is pointless for commuting. Especially when a commute has traffic lights.
I think that its going to become a stereotype that whenever James is in a GCN video he is going to make some form of a mathematical error.
How puncture resistant are those nice tyres? How long to repair a flat?
How comfortable was james on the second bike and in more figure hugging aero gear as opposed to with his usual setup?
There is a trade off between speed and comfort that needs to be recognised if he is commuting for ~2 hours a day.
Also if he was to use the second bike for an extended period id say his time would have been lower still as he got more accustomed to the new setup.
All in all a good interesting video though :)
I commute on my 150mm 33 pound trail bike, so riding James's normal setup would probably save me 15 minutes.
An extra $5,000 for 12 minutes extra a day? I'm sticking with old faithful.
James used road shoes with the Canyon or the same MTB clip from the first test? There are several differences?
Awesome video. Aero saves time, thus, you can buy time.
I would've liked to have seen the addition of a power meter in the mix on both bikes to establish an average wattage on the first bike and then try to sick to that on the second bike so the "feeling faster" mental aspect is taken out of the mix on the second bike and so to intensity on both bikes would've been relatively the same or very similar.
great video.....apart from the time saving it would be nice to know if the better bike was more enjoyable and easier to ride.?
Looks a bit cold for no leg warmers, it must be that James has so much hair on his legs!!
+SwedishHouseFifa And his face... It was quite mild actually.
+Global Cycling Network Truly, that is an epic amount of beard. I am surprised that James needs a bike, as he is clearly a wizard.
Next up: James tests whether a carbon fibre broomstick is significantly faster than a wooden one.
If you do it everyday you start to feel no difference :) Im also cycling 32+ miles to work a day. Only thing you need to keep dry and warm are shoes (feet has less blood circulation and it can be painfull) and chest.
A new flashy bike is almost always a little bit faster than your standard commuter bicycle. Given that the road chosen is paved and does not include too many difficult obstacles.
If you spend a couple of million pounds on a new "straight to the goal" bikeline you can probably shave of even a few more minutes by excluding all those possible red lights.
So the billion dollar question is witch is the better way to commute to work?
All in all. Does the two extra days of "hard" work really pay of the extra money spent on commuter gear? Not bad for 48 hours if that's the case.
I'm pretty sure that he can find 5 minutes of efficency in his morning routine for zero £ or less if he really tries.
He needs to ride in the drops more and not the hoods. That would probably cut 5 minutes right there
lol its like getting new running shoes and being able to run faster :D theres some placebo for sure
Who wants a fancy commuter? It needs to be dependable, beatable and most importantly, not worth stealing. I love my old no suspension Schwinn. I lock it and don't worry about it too much. I keep the nice bikes for training and fun rides.